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SNP justice spokeswoman Joanna Cherry fueled the fire by repeating a false rumour on Twitter that the nurse was married to a Tory councillor (Image: PA Wire)

“But it won’t work this time because more and more people are wise to the underhand ways of the SNP. So here’s an idea for Nicola Sturgeon. Stop the muck raking. Stop the excuses.

“Listen to what the people of Scotland are telling you. Scrap your plan for another divisive independence referendum. And focus on the day job.”

Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser added: “I was sitting alongside Joanna Cherry as she claimed on the BBC that the nurse was the wife of a Tory councillor. She was being urged to say so by the Scottish Government’s welfare minister Jeanne Freeman.

“It was a disgraceful episode and Nicola Sturgeon and her party should be thoroughly ashamed. This smear operation points to something endemic within the SNP.

“Its supporters talk over critics, not listen. And the nationalists will always try to play the man not the ball. This kind of behaviour is utterly unacceptable.”

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The party leaders clashed last night during the first debate ahead of the General Election on June 8 (Image: Getty Images)

Speaking on a visit to Perthshire this morning, Sturgeon said she was standing by Cherry but condemned the abuse.

“She made a mistake, an honest mistake, and she apologised for that. In terms of the wider social media reaction, I don’t think it’s acceptable to make judgements about somebody’s background.

“The nurse on the debate last night was absolutely entitled to raise the issue that she did and, as I said, she raised an issue that I think is one of the biggest in this campaign, the level and value of real wages, not just in the public sector but in the private sector.

“Now we know that the Tories have no policies to deal with that. Our manifesto tomorrow will set out how we think that issue should be addressed and tackled.

“This underlines the key issue at the heart of this campaign. Do we want Tory MPs who will just be a rubber stamp for Theresa May or do we want SNP MPs who will stand up for Scotland?”